1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lighting strip system which comprises a carrier rail with a hollow space, a plurality of electrical wires running longitudinally through the hollow space, a plurality of coupling parts spaced apart from each other longitudinally within the hollow space and electrically connected with the wires, a plurality of lights which are mountable one after another along the carrier rail, the carrier rail having a wall formed with recesses and electrical counter-coupling parts provided on the lights and extending through the recesses when the lights are mounted whereby the counter-coupling parts make electrical plug contact with corresponding coupling parts within the hollow space.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a lighting strip system to which this invention may be applied is described in EP 0 624 754 A1. However, that document fails to disclose how the wiring and coupling parts are mounted.
In particular, large rooms such as e.g. auditoria, halls or long corridors, it is usual, for the illumination of the room concerned, to install so-called track lights or lighting strips, which may consist of a plurality of lights or lighting bars arranged one after another in each case in a row, which can be mounted on the carrier concerned, e.g. a ceiling or wall of the room, directly or by means of a carrier rail.
In DE 196 15 597 A1 there is described a device of the kind indicated in the introduction for contacting the conductor wires of a through-wiring with the conductor wires of electrical connection conductors of the lights of a track light. This previously known lighting strip has a longitudinal channel, in particular rectangular, consisting of a carrier rail and a cover rail, through which the wires of the through-wiring extend. The carrier rail and the cover rail are releaseably connected with one another by means of a quick-fastening connection. In the carrier rail there is arranged a plug-in sleeve connected by suitable means, e.g. a quick-fastening connection, with the base wall of the carrier rail. The plug-in sleeve consists of a base part which receives the wires in slots and a cover part arranged towards the cover rail which has plug-in sleeve holes in which there are arranged contact elements connected with the wires. The plug-in sleeve forms a first plug-in connection part associated with the carrier rail, which can be contacted with a second plug-in connection part having contact elements which is attached to the cover rail and the contact elements of which are connected with the lamp wiring. With this known configuration, the lamp is held in plug-in sockets, as is per se known, which stand up outwardly from the cover rail. With this known lighting strip it is possible to install the wiring from the open side of the carrier rail.
In DE 39 20 614 A1 there is described an attachment and connection system for the rapid mounting of lamps, in particular of lamps having a watertight housing. The main parts of this known attachment system are a holder, which can be attached to a ceiling or a cable guide by means of screws, whereby a two-part lamp housing is connected with the holder by means of a connecting device provided with hooks. Between the holder and the housing tub lying opposite thereto a through passage for cables is provided, which cables are longer than the holder and are mounted on a (non-illustrated) cable connection, which is arranged on the housing, for the electrical supply of the lights.
According to DE-A-2 545 038 there is described an arrangement for the through-wiring of lighting strip lights, with which a prefabricated intermediate product is manufactured from the wires and the coupling parts. This intermediate product is mounted above the lamp housings arranged in series, where normally no spatial restriction exist for this intermediate product.
The object of the invention is to further develop a lighting strip system of the kind indicated above that a simple and in particular rapidly effectable mounting of the wires or the through-wiring is ensured, and the mounting of the associated coupling part in the spatially restricted hollow space of the carrier rail is ensured.
This object is achieved by means providing coupling parts that are slidable within the carrier rail so that the coupling parts or slides which contain the coupling parts and the wires form a prefabricated intermediate product. The cross-sectional dimensions of the coupling parts or slides are adapted to associated internal dimensions of the carrier rail that the coupling parts or slides are longitudinally displaceable in the carrier rail with a slight plug for movement, whereby the carrier rail internally forms a longitudinal guide for the coupling parts or the slides. Advantageous further developing features of the invention are also described and claimed herein.
The mounting of the wires with the at least one coupling part arranged prefabricated thereon is effected in that the wires are moved longitudinally into the hollow space of the carrier rail. This can be effected by means of pulling or pushing the wiring units. The latter is possible due to the stiffness of the wires. Thereby, the wires may have a particular length adapted to the length of a lighting strip section, or they may be drawn off from a longer supply reserve, e.g. rolled off a roll. The longitudinal spacing of the coupling parts connected with the wires is determined by means of the longitudinal spacing of the recesses in the cover wall of the carrier rail or by means of the length of the associated lights of the lighting strip. Preferably, the coupling parts are in each case formed as slides or arranged in a slide which is displaceable longitudinally through the carrier rail into a longitudinal position in which the coupling parts coincide with the associated recesses or associated counter-coupling parts of the lights. Thereby, the position of these plug-in connection parts in the transverse direction can be determined by means of a guide. In the longitudinal direction the position can be determined by means of a particular length of movement which, due to the knowledge of the position of the at least one recess, is predetermined. It is also possible to limit this length of movement by means of stop which, e.g. through the recess, can be inserted into the carrier rail and by means of abutting limits the movements of one or each coupling part. After the introduction of the so-called wiring the lights of the lighting strip can be mounted by lateral placement on the carrier rail, whereby plugs arranged on the lights are connected as counter-coupling parts with the coupling parts by means of plugging together. The coupling parts and the counter-coupling parts are preferably plug-coupling parts. In this connection position, the through-wiring with the coupling parts is arrested by means of the counter-coupling parts.
Further, the wiring can be realized in a simple manner and with slight effort due to the axial introduction into the hollow space of the carrier rail, since the wiring needs only be pulled or pushed. With the known mounting measures, in contrast, the wiring must be mounted into the carrier rail by means of a lateral introduction movement, which in particular in the case of greater lengths of a lighting strip system is difficult and complicated.